Engine starter



June 11, 1929. v, BENDIX 1,716,413

ENGINE STARTER Filed May 29, 1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 11, 19290 I v. BENDI X 1,716,413

ENGINE STARTER Filed May 29. 1917 z Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,716,413 PATENT OFFICE.

VINCENT. IBENDIX, OF CHICAGO, TLLINOIS.

ENGINE STARTER.

Application filed May 29,

. with either directly or indirectly for transmitting the power of the motor by means of a rotatable shaft such as a screw shaft and a driving member, such as a pinion, mounted thereon andadapted to operatively engage a part of the engine to be started, such as the fly wheel thereof.

The object of my present invention is to produce a drive of this general type but of somewhat different construction and functioning and made efficient and compact and providing a driving member or pinion which is'enabled to be of comparatively small diameter and a control member mounted on the shaft for longitudinal and rotary movements and adapted to impart its movements to the driving member preferably through a yielding driving connection, suchas a spring.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a drive embodying my invention and illustrating a portion of the fly-wheel of the engine and of the starting motor; Fig. 2 a section on the line 22 of. Fig. 1;

and Fig. 3 a sectional elevation of a modified form of construction.

Referring to the embodiment of my invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the starting motor, indicated at A, is provided with an extended armature shaft which may be considered the driving shaft, here shown as made in two separate detachable parts and connected directly with the drive or transmission about to be described. In the present instance the inner part 1 is a plain shaft and the outer part 2 a screw shaft, which is secured in suitable manner to the outer end of the plain shaft as by means of its screw-threaded portion screwing into the end bore 1 of the latter shaft, a suitable hardened washer 3 being preferably interposed between an intermediate shoulder of the screw shaft and the outer end of the plain shaft, to act as a stop for the screw member in its longitudinal movement on the screw shaft towards the left. It obvious that the two shafts might be made integral but by preference theyare. made in two de- 1917. Serial No. 171,787.

tachable parts as shown, particularly because the drive is made and sold separately to be applied to starting motors whose armature shaft has been made adapted by the manufactlllrers thereof to take such drive. Consequently, in the broader aspect of my invention the driving shaft-s 1 and 2 may be considered as one and the same. The screw shaft is. provided with a screwthreaded portion 2 extending nearly to the outer end thereof and on these threads is mounted, by being screw-threaded thereon,

a screw member 4 which by reason of its mounting is capable of longitudinal and rotary movement with respect to the screw 'shaftand also rotary movement therewith.

The screw threads are abruptly stopped at their outerends to form stops for the outward travel of the screw member. At the inner end of its limit of travel it is stopped by the washer 3.

The screw member which in its broad significance is a control member, is operatively connected to a driving member or pinion 5 by a suitable driving means which is here shown as a yielding driving connection in the form of a coiled spring 6 connected respectively to the screw-member and driving member. One end of the spring is anchored to a stud 7 screwing into the screw member and the other end to a stud 8 screwing into the driving member.

The driving member and adapted to mesh with the teeth 9 of the fly-wheel 9 of the engine to be started. This driving member or pinion is capable of both 5 has teeth at its inner.

longitudinal movement and rotary movement with respect to the screw shaft and also rotary movement therewith and is controlled by the screw member so that it partakes of substantially the same movements thereof.

As shown, the driving member is mounted parts, to thereby weight them on one side and.

thereby cause a clutching through centrifugal forces when demeshing but this feature is immaterial in so far as my invention viewed in its broader aspect is concerned.

The outer portion of the driving member is formed as a cylindrical extension or hub between which and a similar hub 4: on the screw member is a clearance or compression space 10, with the result that in the event that the pinion teeth should, abut the fly-wheel 5 teeth end to end, the pinion will yieldoutwardly longitudinally with respect to the screw member as permitted by the spring coils. In order to bridge this space and prevent the possibility of a coil dropping or wedging "thereinto, when such spring ,iswound or under tension during the driving operation or by reason'of back fires of the engine, suitable means are provided, such as a sleeve 11 secured to the hub 4 and having a sliding fit upon the hub 5 Describing theoperation of the drive, and I starting with the parts in their normal position shown, the rotation of the screw shaft by the rotation ofthe electric motorcauses the screw member 4 to move inwardly longitudinally, that is towards the left in Fig. 1, car- I rying with it the driving member 5 and cansing the latter to mesh with the fl y-wheel. When the screw-member contacts the washer 3 it is at its limit of travel in this direction and thereupon such screw-member and consequently the pinion or driving member will be rotated, thereby driving the fly-wheel. The power is transmitted from the screw member to the pinion through the coiled spring 6. When the engine has started on its own ,power, the accelerated movement of its fly-wheel will automatically demesh the dri-ving member and cause the same to be moved back to normal or home position through the control thereof by the screw member. The movement of the screw member in this direction is'limited by the end of the screw threads on the screw shaft.

In Fig. 3 have shown a modified'form of construction in which the corresponding parts are similarly numbered. According to .this construction the driving shaft which is .made in two parts has its innermost part or member a'screw shaft 12 and its outer part the plain portion 13. In the form shown in Fig. l the driving me mber or pinion 5 moved inwardly toward the motor when the drive was operatedbut in Fig. 3 such driving member moves in the opposite direction, that is,

away from the motor when going into mesh with the fly-wheel. In other respects the operation is the same.

I do notherein claim the special features of the drive of Fig. 3, but have made the same the subject matter of an application filed by me on August 13, 1917, Serial No. 185,873, which has since issued as Patent No. 1,551,787, dated September 1, 1925.

I claim: 7

1. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft; a driving member mounted thereon for .both longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member of the engine to be started,'a control member mounted on said shaft for longitudinal and rotary moveand rotary movement therewith, and a yielding driving means between the driving mem ber and the control member.

3. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for both longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and. rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and' drive-a member of the engine to be started,

a control member mounted-on said shaft for longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, and a spring driving connection between the driving memher and the control member.

4. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a screw-threaded portion, a driving member mounted thereon for both longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member ofthe engine to be started; a screw member mounted on the threaded portion of the shaft, and a driving connection between said driving member and screw member.

5. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft, having a screw threaded portion a driving member mounted thereon for both longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with a member of the engine to be started; a'screw member mounted on the threaded portion of theshaft, and a yield ing driving means betwen said driving member and screw member. i

6. A drive for enginestarters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a driving member mounted for longitudinal movement with re-. lation to the shaft and rotary movement therewith, a screw member mounted on said shaft and controlling the relative movements of the driving member, and a driving means lfietween said screw member and driving mem- 7. Adrive for en ine starters com risin a g P g rotatable shaft having a screw-threaded portion, a driving member mounted thereon for both longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member of the engine to be started; a screw member mounted on the threaded portion of the shaft, for 9 longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, and a driving means between said driving member and screw member.

8. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft having a screw-threaded portion, a driving member mounted for both longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member of the engine to be started; a screw member mounted on the threaded portion of the shaft for longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and re- -tary movement therewith, and a driving means between said driving member and screw member.

9. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for both longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member of the engine to be started. a control member mounted on said shaft for longitudinal and rotary movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, means for stopping the said longitudinal movement of the control member, and driving means between the driving member andthe control member. .10. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screwshaft, a pinion capable of rotary and longitudinalmovements, a screw member screw threaded on the shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, and a driving means between said member and pinion.

11. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft,,a pinion capable of rotary and longitudinal movements, a screw member screw threaded on the shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, and a yielding driving means between said member and pinion.

12. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion capable of rotary and longitudinal movements, a screw member screw threaded 0 on the shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, and a spring connected with said member and pinion respectively and forming a yielding driving means therebetween.

13. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion capable of rotary and longitudinal movements, a screw member screw threaded on the shaft for r0-' tary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, a driving connection between said member and pinion, in combination with a driving shaft to which said rotatable shaft is secured and on which said driving member is mounted.

14. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable driving shaft made in two parts detachably connected together in alinement, one being a screw shaft and the other a plain shaft, and engine driving mechanism mounted on the driving shaft and actuated thereby and having portions for coaction with each of said shaft-parts.

15. A drive for enginestarters comprising a rotatable driving shaft made in two parts detachably connected together in alinement, the outer one being a screw shaft and the inner one a plain shaft, and engine driving mechanism mounted on the driving shaft and actuated thereby and having threaded and plain portions coacting respectively with the outer and inner parts of said shaft.

16. 1 A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable driving shaft made in two. parts detachably connected together in alinement,

one being a screw shaft and the other a plain shaft, a driving member mounted on the plain J shaft, a screw member mounted on the screw shaft, and a driving connection between the two members. i

17. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable driving shaft made in two parts detachably connected together in alinement, one being a screw shaft and the other a plain shaft, a driving member mounted on the plain shaft, a screw niember mounted on the screw shaft, and a yielding driving means connecting between the two members.

18. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable driving shaft made in two parts detachably connected together in alinement, one being a screw shaft and the other a plain shaft, :1 driving member mounted on the plain shaft, a screw member mounted on the screw shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, means for stopping such longitudinal movement, and driving means connecting between the two members.

19. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable driving shaft made in two parts detachably connected together in alinement, one being a screw shaft and theother a plain shaft, a driving member mounted on the plain shaft, a screw member mounted on the screw shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, means for stoppingsuch longitudinal movement consisting ofra projection at the point of connection of said two parts, and driving means connecting between the two members. i

20. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable driving shaft made in two parts detachably connected together in alinement, one being a screw shaft and the other a plain shaft, a driving member mounted on the plain shaft, a screw member mounted on the screw shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, means for stop-' ping such longitudinal movement consisting of a washer at the point of connection ofsaid two parts, and driving means connecting between the two members.

21. A drive for engine starters comprisin a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion capable 0 rotary and longitudinal movements, a driving head screw-threaded on the shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, a driving connection between said member and pinion, in combination with a-driving shaft which has a screw threaded bore at its outer end and on which.

screw shaft having an end screw-threaded to fit in said bore, and aXwasher interposed at the point of connection of the two shafts.

23. A drive-for engine; starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion capable of rotary and longitudinal movements, a screw member screw-threaded on the shaft for rotarymovement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, said pinion and screw member having a compression space between them,and a coiled driving spring interposed between such pinion and member and connected therewith respectively.

24. A drive for enginestarters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion also capable of rotary and longitudinal movements, a

5 screw member screw-threaded on the shaft for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, said pinion and member having a compression space between them, means for covering such space, and a coiled driving spring interposed between such pinion and member and connected therewith respectively.

i 25. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion alsoacapable of rotary and longitudinal movements a serew member. screw-threaded on the sh aft for" rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, said pinion and member having a compression space between them, a sleeve cooperating with the member and pinion to cover said space, and a coiled driving spring interposed between such pinion and member and connected therewith respectively.

26. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion also capable of rotary and longitudinal movements,

a screwmember screw-threaded thereon for a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion also capableof rotary and longitudinal movements,

a screw member screw-threaded thereon for screw member screw-threaded .thereon for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling themovements of the pinion, said pinion being overbalanced on one side, and'driving means between the pinion and member.

29. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion also capable of rotary and longitudinal movements, A a screw member screw-threaded thereon for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and controlling the movements of the pinion, said pinion having on oneside a projecting portion to overweight it on that side, and driving means between the pinion and member. K

30: A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft,a pin-ion also capable of rotary and longitudinal movements, a screw member screw-threaded thereon for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof and'controlling the movements of the pinion, said pinion having on one side a projecting portion to overweight it on that side, and a coiled driving spring a chored to said projecting portion and the sd rew member respectively. 31. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable screw shaft, a screw member screw-threaded thereon for rotary movement therewith and longitudinal movement thereof, a pinion surrounding the shaft andin axial alinement with said member and a torsion spring driving connection between the member and pinion.

32. In apparatus of the class described, in

combination, an engine, a motor for starting the same, a driven member connected with said engine, a driving member normally out of cooperation therewith, a shaft rotated by said motor, a nut threaded on said shaft and a yieldable member interposed between said nut and said driving member. v

33. In a starter for gas engines and the like, comprising in combination with a driven inember operatively connected with the engine, a driving member adapted to cooperate with and drive the other member but-normally out of cooperation therewith, a shaft driven by a starting motor, said driving member being mounted on said shaft, shifting means for said driving member, and means on said shaft for causing a longitudinal movement of said shiftingmeans, to effect movement of said driving member into cooperation with said driven member.

34. A starter for gas engines and the like comprising in combination adriven member operatively connected with the enginea driving member adapted to cooperate with and drive the other member but normally out of cooperation therewith, shifting means for said driving member operated by a starting motor and means for limiting the range of said shifting means and for connecting said motor in driving relation with said driving. means.

35. A starter for gas engines and the like comprising in combination a driven member operatively connected with the engine, a driving member adapted to cooperate with and drive the other member but normally out of cooperation therewith, shifting means for said driving member operated by a starting motor, said shifting means including a relatively rigid member, a shaft having a portion inclined to its axis and rotating with said motor and cooperating with said rigid mem- "ber and torque transmitting means including said rigid member and operative after said shifting means has performed its function.

36. In apparatus of the class described,'in combination, an engine, a motor for starting the .same, a driven member connected'with said engine, a driving member normally out of cooperation therewith, shifting means for...

said driving member, including a rigid element, a spring member connecting the latter element with said driving member, and means connected with the motor for imparting substantially translational movement to said rigid member. I

37 In apparatus ofJthe class described, in combination," an engine driven gear, a driving gear adapted to cooperate therewith,

meansrendered effective by a starting motor for moving said driving gear into mesh with said driven ear, including a screw shaft driven'by said starting motor, a nut on said shaft and means-movable with said nut and teeth thereon, a driving shaft having screw.

threads, a nut carried on said threads, a gear wheel slidingly supported on said shaft adjacent the engine driven member and adapted .to engage the gear teeth thereon and means drivingly connecting said nut to said gear wheel for the purpose described.

39. In apparatus of the class described, in combination with a member connected with an engine to be started, a driving shaft, a driving member slidably carried on said shaft and normally out of cooperation with the engine member, a nut threaded on said shaft 111 longitudinal alinement with the said drlvmg' member and a single yieldable member interposed between said nut and said driving member, said yieldable member serving as oneof its functions, to hold the driving member in normal,'spaced relationship with the nut.

40. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a motor for starting the same, a driving member normally out of cooperation with but adapted to engage a member of the engine to-be started,shifting means separate from the driving member and mounted to move longitudinally and to cooperate with the driving member to shift the latter into engagement with the engine member, and a part inclined to the axis of said motor between said motor and said shifting means and adapted to actuate said means.

ll. In apparatus of the class described, a rotatable shaft, a driving member and shifting means separate from the driving member and mounted on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith "and operatively connected to the driving member to impart its said movements thereto.

42. A drive for engine starters comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon and adapted to cooperate with and drive a member 'of the engine to be started,

and control member mounted on such shaft drive a member of the engine to be started,.

a control member mounted on such shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotarymovement therewith, and a yielding driving connection between such members.

VINCENT BENDIX. 

